Blair said Thursday the video recovered by police is “consistent” with accounts of an apparent crack video published by the Star and the website Gawker in May. Ford’s lawyer, Dennis Morris, suggested Friday morning that Ford could have been “smoking a cigarette” or marijuana.

“We have a gentleman who spoke to Toronto Star reporters. And if you were that gentleman, would it better to be saying we have the mayor smoking something like crack cocaine, or cigarettes or marijuana? Which do you think the press would be interested in? How much money can you get if someone said ‘I’m smoking marijuana or cigarettes’ as opposed to smoking crack cocaine?” Morris said to AM640 host John Oakley.

The video, which is brightly lit, appears to show Ford sitting in a chair inhaling from what appears to be a glass crack pipe. In May, Ford flatly said “there’s no video” and that he “cannot comment on a video I haven't seen or does not exist.”

Blair said the video will be presented as evidence in court as part of the case against Ford friend Alexander “Sandro” Lisi, who has been charged with extortion. Morris argued that it should be released now.

“I challenge anyone to indicate that whatever they see, and he’s said this from Day 1, he does not smoke crack cocaine, and there’s no video showing him smoking crack cocaine,” Morris said.

Morris added: “When it’s seen publicly, there won’t be a case against Mr. Ford.”

The morning comments from Morris and Ford’s brother, Councillor Doug Ford, suggest a strategy to buy time for the mayor as he attempts to survive a career-threatening crisis. There was no indication Friday of a pending admission or statement of contrition, though Doug Ford said “everyone uses bad judgment.”

Like Doug Ford, who appeared later on the Oakley show, Morris criticized Blair for commenting on the video at a news conference, and also for not releasing it immediately. Morris said Blair should not have said he was “disappointed” in what he had learned.

“Who appointed him judge, jury and executioner? No one,” Morris said. “He was appointed in 2005 as chief of police, and with respect, he should stick to that position.”

Doug Ford said: “Obviously, he says on one hand he can't comment on evidence, and then on the other hand, he wants to comment on it. So if that's not a little bit of politicking on the chief's part, I don't know what is.”

Morris only briefly discussed the police document that revealed secret meetings, 349 communications over 44 days, and multiple apparent clandestine exchanges between Ford and Lisi, who is also an accused drug dealer. Morris dismissed the findings of the extensive police investigation, saying the detectives discovered only “empty liquor bottles.”